A Lagos State Special Offences Court has sentenced Tobi Paul-Augustine to 18 months in prison for impersonating an operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The presiding judge, Justice Rahman Oshodi, imposed the sentence after Paul-Augustine pleaded guilty to the charge of impersonation.
In delivering the judgment, the judge noted the seriousness of the offence, emphasizing that Augustine’s actions had undermined public confidence in the EFCC, which is a crucial law enforcement agency.
Justice Oshodi stated, “Section 380 of the Criminal Law prescribes a punishment of three years imprisonment for the offence of impersonation. Your actions, which involved impersonating an EFCC operative, severely undermine public confidence in this critical institution.”
He did consider mitigating factors, including the fact that Paul-Augustine pleaded guilty at the first opportunity, saving judicial time, cooperated with law enforcement by providing a confessional statement, and was a first-time offender. “Having carefully weighed these factors, I hereby sentence you to 50 per cent of the prescribed sentence: 18 months’ imprisonment,” the judge concluded.
The judge also ordered that the sentence should commence on August 10, 2024, the date of his remand. Furthermore, the court instructed that exhibits (E, F, G, G1, and H), which included caps, jackets, and t-shirts bearing EFCC and Nigerian Army insignia, be destroyed by the EFCC.
Earlier, during the review of facts, EFCC Counsel Mr Fanen Anun called a witness, Mr Umar Abdulkariri, who presented several exhibits, including the EFCC crested jacket and face cap.
Abdulkarim testified that the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) handed the convict over to the EFCC on August 16, 2024.
He reported that several items were recovered, including two EFCC jackets, one Nigerian Army Special Force face cap, a long-sleeved t-shirt, one EFCC face cap, and an Infinix mobile phone.
The prosecution stated that the convict committed the offence in August 2024 by presenting himself as an EFCC officer to gain financial advantage, which contravenes Section 380 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.
